Critical thinking isn’t the same as criticising everything.

I think we sometimes misunderstand what it means to be a critical thinker. We hear the word critical and assume it means finding fault: spotting what’s wrong with an argument, disagreeing with someone, or demonstrating why our position is better than theirs. But critical thinking isn’t really about becoming better at winning arguments. It’s about becoming better at understanding them.

Caroline Webb describes something called the Discover–Defend axis. In Discover mode, we’re curious. We ask questions, explore possibilities and remain open to information that might change what we think. In Defend mode, we do something quite different. We protect the position we already hold and become much more interested in finding evidence that proves we’re right.

You can probably see the problem for university study. If you begin an assignment already certain of the answer, research can very quickly become a hunt for evidence that supports what you already believe. You might find six journal articles agreeing with you and feel like you’ve done some excellent critical thinking. Perhaps you haven’t. Perhaps you’ve just become very good atdefending your starting position.

Critical thinking begins with curiosity. What don’t I know? Whatmight challenge my position? What would make me change my mind? Where does the balance of the evidence actually point?

Sometimes good critical thinking ends with you being more confident that you were right. Sometimes it doesn’t.

The important thing is that you were prepared to discover.

It’s one of the ideas I explore in Study Smart: Everything They Forgot to Tell You About University.

https://amzn.eu/d/02Oe98dR

One for the students and people who support students this....

Time management isn’t your biggest problemat university. Attention is.

We talk a lot about time management at university and at work …and in life. Buy a planner, organise your calendar, block out two hours for reading and make yourself a revision timetable. All useful stuff and being organised certainly helps but I am fond ofsaying you can’t manage time – but you can manage what you do with it – and that kind of aligns to this. After years of working with students and people in general around productivity, I’ve become increasingly convinced that time isn’t actually the thing most people need to manage better. It’s attention.

You can have two hours beautifully blocked out in your diary, but if you’re checking your phone, replying to messages, flicking between browser tabs and disappearing down a social media rabbit hole every few minutes, you haven’t really had two hours of study. Because studying isn’t simply about spending time sitting in front of a book or a laptop. University asks you to think: to tussle with a difficult idea, make connections, question what you’re reading and gradually understand something you didn’t understand before. And all of that requires attention.

So perhaps the better question isn’t, “How can I find more time to study?” but “How can I protect the time I’ve already got?”

Put the phone somewhere else. Switch off the notifications. Choose one thing to work on and give your attention enough time to settle.

Time passes whether you manage it or not.

Attention is something you can choose where to place.

It’s one of the ideas I explore in Study Smart: Everything They Forgot to Tell You About University.

https://amzn.eu/d/052q4mfw

Jamie, George, and Stephen are joined by Louise Clough to explore the reality of whether Social Workers can ever fulfil their obligations in relation to Social Work England's Standards - in the case Louise presents in relation to Social Work with Adults specifically in relation to hospital discharge.

In this episode Stephen explores the underpinning ideas of the strengths based approach and explores Saleebey's CPR model.

Stephen explores the skill of Critical Thinking in relation to Social Work Practice. It's important to get at the 'Why'.

The skilful or negotiator makes every effort to make the other person feel good about themselves by showing interest and concern and a desire to understand. As Stephen Covey says in his 7 habits of highly effective people ‘Seek first to understand then to be understood’.

"For me, there are three things at play in our work as social workers - power, communication and change. It strikes me that what we are involved in as social workers is influenced heavily through power – power that runs through everyone and every structure. Power is pervasive – it’s everywhere. It is certainly an ever-present facet of social work. The key skill that we have to shift power one way or another is communication." Stephen

Stephen brings you Rapoport's Rules - a powerful communication framework that fosters productive discussions and attempts to promote understanding among individuals with differing perspectives. He delves into these essential guidelines for effective dialogue, aiming to enhance constructive conversations and bridge gaps in understanding. Elevate the way you communicate and connect.

Stephen explores The Mental Capacity Act and notes it is In Your Hands - what does that mean?

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Stephen explores Aristotle's Modes of Persuasion in relation to Social Work practice. Ethos, Pathos, Logos.